Quick Guide & Transcript: Kansas town begins recovery, Bush hosts dinner for Queen Elizabeth

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(CNN Student News) -- May 8, 2007

Quick Guide

Still Searching - Hear about recovery efforts in a Kansas town struck by a tornado.

Crash in Cameroon - Learn about a deadly plane crash in the African nation of Cameroon.

Royal Treatment - Pull up a chair to a state dinner held in honor of Britain's queen.

Transcript

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DANIELLE ELIAS, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: We're happy to have you with us for CNN Student News. I'm Danielle Elias. Starting the cleanup: Residents of Greensburg, Kansas, are determined to rebuild after their town was left in ruins by a devastating tornado. Dining with Her Majesty: Queen Elizabeth wraps up her visit to the U.S. with a state dinner at the White House. And honoring the past: A project aims to preserve the memories of America's veterans, and there's a way you can help out.

First Up: Still Searching

ELIAS: First up today, a town in ruins. People in Greensburg, Kansas, are taking the first steps down the slow road to recovery after a powerful tornado leveled most of the town last Friday. Yesterday, we told you about rescue efforts underway in Greensburg. They were successful, as searchers found a survivor trapped beneath the rubble. And the Kansas Highway Patrol says the search goes on, and they're optimistic more survivors may be found. Don Lemon reports from Greensburg on the damage caused by the deadly storms.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DON LEMON, CNN REPORTER: In a matter of 15 to 20 minutes, an entire town was virtually wiped off the map. Officials say about 95 percent of Greensburg, Kansas, was flattened by tornado-packing storms over the weekend. When it was all over, residents returned to where their homes once stood and stood in disbelief.

REV. GENE MCINTOSH, FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: We've lost, you know, everything. People here lost their homes, their businesses.

LEMON: An unfortunate number lost their lives. Ten people died in Greensburg, and twisters killed two others elsewhere in Kansas. Now, a daunting search continues for possible survivors.

LEMON: The Governor of Kansas says the mountains of rubble and debris are so deep in some parts that even dogs trained to sniff out humans may not be able to, raising the possibility that some people could be trapped alive. One survivor was found beneath debris in the middle of town. Adding to the dangers: an ammonia leak in the town. Officials say the storm knocked over a tank car that was carrying some 14,000 gallons of ammonia. Officials evacuated half the town just as residents began to return today. Emergency relief crews say it's just one of the reasons they'll stay on the scene.

DAVE PAULSON, FEMA: We are here for the long haul and we are not going to abandon this thing in a few days. We're going to stick with it and make sure we get this city up and running again.

LEMON: Don Lemon, CNN, Greensburg, Kansas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Spoken Word

REED TIMMER, STORM CHASER: This is definitely the closest we've ever come to a tornado, because this one was perfect to do so, because it was moving slow and it was very small. But that could be decieving, because it was still extremely violent. You could see trees getting ripped out of the ground, and definitely the closest we've come to any tornado.

JOEL TAYLOR, STORM CHASER: We think there was a barn that it hit and that debris got caught up in the tornado. And there was actually a piece of debris that we counted that went around the tornado about four times.

TIMMER: It was a good thing it wasn't in a more populated area, because you can see it was very violent. And had this hit structures, they would have been destroyed. so, we're very thankful for that.

Crash in Cameroon

ELIAS: Recovery efforts are also underway in the West African nation of Cameroon after a plane crashed there last Saturday. Officials say the Kenyan Airways flight issued a distress call, then lost contact with the radio tower. This was less than 15 minutes after taking off. All 114 people on board were killed. Robyn Curnow has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBYN CURNOW, CNN REPORTER: After almost two days of searching, the wreckage of Kenyan Airways flight 507 was found submerged in a swamp just 12 miles from the Cameroon town of Douala where it took off very early on Saturday morning.

TITUS NAIKUNI, CEO, KENYA AIRWAYS: KQ 507 was located 20 kilometers southeast of Douala along the planned flight path. That was around 9:00 - 9:30 last night. At this time we have no confirmed information about survivors and casualties.

CURNOW: Crew and passengers came from 27 countries. Cameroon aviation officials say it nosedived into thick mangrove forest swamp and disintegrated on impact.

NAIKUNI: We are told the site is very difficult to access. There isn't a road going in there, and the clearing of the heavy bushes surrounding the site started last night.

CURNOW: But despite the inaccessible terrain, there has been criticism of the rescue effort, many in Kenya and Cameroon questioning why it has taken nearly two days to find the plane.

FLORENCE MASHWOCHE: With the modern technology they should have found these things in 15 minutes at most. Almost 36 hours doesn't make sense.

CURNOW: The cause of the crash remains unclear. Investigators will examine if bad weather was a factor. The plane vanished from radar screens in a violent storm shortly after takeoff. However, Kenya Airways is considered one of the safest airlines in Africa, and the airline said the Boeing 737-800 was just six months old. Robyn Curnow, CNN, Johannesburg, South Africa.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Promo

ELIAS: You might not always be able to get to a TV or computer, but that doesn't mean you have to miss out on the news. Download our podcast at CNN.com or iTunes and you can get CNN Student News wherever you are!

Shoutout

AZUZ: Time for the Shoutout! How should you address Britain's queen at a state dinner? If you think you know it, shout it out! Is it: A) Madam queen, B) Your majesty, C) Your royal highness, or D) Ma'am? You've got three seconds -- GO! At a White House state dinner, the queen should be addressed as "your majesty," according to White House aides. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!

Royal Treatment

ELIAS: You probably already know the usual dinnertime rules: always say "please" and "thank you," no elbows on the table and of course no talking with your mouth full! But as you just heard, when you're dining with the queen of England, there's a whole lot more etiquette to follow. Elizabeth Manresa fills us in on the queen's visit to the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELIZABETH MANRESA, CNN REPORTER: In honor of the queen and Prince Philip, the president and first lady hosted the first white-tie dinner at the White House.

U.S. PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: On behalf of the American people, I offer a toast to your majesty, to your royal highness and to our staunch allies, the valued people of the United Kingdom.

QUEEN ELIZABETH II: Thank you very much indeed.

MANRESA: Two dozen members of the White House staff have been working round the clock for the past four days to pull off the big event. Mrs. Bush helped to plan the menu for the dinner, a five course meal for 134 guests. The menu includes sole almondine and a special desert called rose blossoms. The Clinton china is being used to serve the meal and tables are adorned with huge bouquets of roses.

MANRESA: Dignitaries like Henry Kissinger and Colin Powell attended the dinner, as did football star Peyton Manning, golf star Arnold Palmer and winning Kentucky Derby winner jockey Calvin Borel. Queen Elizabeth toasted President Bush and America.

QUEEN ELIZABETH II: Mr. President, I raise my glass to you and to Mrs. Bush, to the friendship between our two countries and to the health, freedom, prosperity and happiness of the people of the United States of America.

MANRESA: After dinner the queen was treated to a performance by violin virtuoso, Yitzhak Perlman. She wraps up her 6-day visit on Tuesday. In Washington, I'm Elizabeth Manresa for CNN Student News.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Before We Go

ELIAS: Before we go, let's step back in time to this date in 1945. That's when a massive Allied force, including hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops, celebrated V-E Day. That stands for "victory in Europe," and it commemorates the defeat of Nazi Germany. Of course, those who served in World War II tell the stories best. You can hear some of them, and see pictures like these, thanks to the Veterans History Project. For example, listen to what Ed Goodwin remembers about the day the Allies invaded Europe.

ED GOODWIN, WORLD WAR II VETERAN: I saw one ship our size was blown out of the water. There's a lot of things that went on there that you don't, you know... But that's war. You got, once you accept the fact that it's war, well that's the way it really was. I was, we were lucky. We thank God for it.

ELIAS: The Veterans History Project aims to preserve memories like Mr. Goodwin's. And you can personally get involved, helping document stories of any living veteran by heading to this Web site. Call it your own contribution to history! And we've also put a link to the project on our site, CNN.com/EDUCATION.

Goodbye

ELIAS: And that's where we mark the end of today's CNN Student News. Thanks for watching. I'm Danielle Elias.

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